2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Valleskey
A place name referring to someone who lived near a valley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Valleskey. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Valleskey surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Valleskey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Valleskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Valleskey
The surname Valleskey has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from a place name, potentially derived from the German words "vallis" meaning valley and "key" meaning an island or ridge of land. This suggests that the surname may have been associated with a particular location characterized by a valley or a raised landmass within it.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Valleskey can be found in the German church records from the town of Kölln, near the city of Chemnitz in Saxony. These records date back to the mid-1500s, indicating the presence of individuals bearing this name in the region during that time period.
In the 17th century, the Valleskey surname appeared in various historical documents and records across different regions of Germany. For instance, there are mentions of individuals with this surname in the parish registers of Hesse and Thuringia, as well as in the census records of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
One notable figure from history who carried the Valleskey surname was Johann Valleskey, born in 1689 in the town of Weimar, in present-day Thuringia. He was a renowned clockmaker and inventor, known for his innovations in the design and construction of intricate timepieces. His works were highly sought after by the nobility and aristocracy of the time.
Another individual of historical significance was Anna Maria Valleskey, born in 1734 in the village of Kleinschmalkalden, in present-day Thuringia. She was a renowned midwife and herbalist, widely respected for her knowledge of traditional remedies and her dedication to assisting women during childbirth.
In the 19th century, the Valleskey surname gained prominence in the field of academia. One such figure was Friedrich Valleskey, born in 1815 in the town of Gotha, in present-day Thuringia. He was a renowned scholar and linguist, known for his contributions to the study of ancient Germanic languages and their influence on modern German dialects.
During the same period, the Valleskey surname was also associated with the arts. Renowned painter and illustrator, Wilhelmine Valleskey, born in 1828 in the city of Dresden, gained recognition for her vivid depictions of rural life and landscapes in Saxony.
As migration patterns evolved, the Valleskey surname spread beyond the borders of Germany, with individuals carrying this name settling in various parts of Europe and eventually making their way to other continents, including North America and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Valleskey
Among Census respondents with the surname Valleskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Valleskey bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Valleskey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 108
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Valleskey
Valleskey appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+8 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,322 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,354 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.5%) | Down 1,322 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,354 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Valleskey surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #144,141 | #146,495 | -1.6% |
| Count | 115 | 114 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Valleskey bearers went from 115 to 114 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,354 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #146,495.
FAQ
Valleskey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Valleskey?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Valleskey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Valleskey?
Valleskey ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Valleskey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Valleskey.
Has Valleskey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Valleskey went from 115 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Valleskey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Valleskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Valleskey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Valleskey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Black (1.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Valleskey (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Valleskey mean?
A place name referring to someone who lived near a valley. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Valleskey (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Valleskey?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.